Project Manager as a resource not a taskmaster

 

I recently participated on a lecture panel for Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design. My role on the panel was to bring a project manager's perspective on design, specifically for development and design of software in the healthcare sector. 

One of the messages that I wanted to communicate to the graduate students was to treat your project manager as resource and not a task master. 

Rightly or wrongly, people often think of Project Managers as the person in charge. They see this person as managing timelines & schedules and handing out task assignments. However, I wanted the graduate students to understand that their job would be easier if they treat their PM as a partner and a resource.

In my opinion -- a good PM helps his or her team to remove roadblocks and open new paths to help the team achieve its goals.

If a software developer needs a new software license or a certain piece of hardware, the PM should be the one championing the procurement of the new resources. 

If the UX design team needs feedback from certain customers, salespeople, or product users, the PM could make those initial introductions happen and help the designers gain access to the stakeholder groups.

What if the analysts and designers wanted to know the current set of feature priorities or the worst-offender bugs? How about what the latest data teaches us about a new product feature? The PM should be able to provide the data or at least connect the analysts and designers with the right people who have the data.

I also feel that it is our jobs as PMs to shield our teams from as much administrivia and unnecessary distractions as possible. This will allow your team members to do their best and most meaningful work. 

I encourage you to tell your teams that they should treat you as a resource and not a task master. 

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